Shoe platform construction



April 1951 O E. J. MCDANIEL 2,547,480

SHOE PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION Filed May 15, 1948 a r w 1 Q A V r E O r 1 4? INVENTOR. ESKEL- J. M DANIEL ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION :Eskel J. McDaniel, St. Louis, Mo.

Application May 15, 1948, Serial No. 27,226

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to shoes and shoemaking and consists particularly in novel platform construction for ladies shoes.

Many fashionable ladies shoes are now provided with a rather thick sole which is formed by a block of material or platform interposed between the insole and outsole. Various light weight materials have been used in making the platform, but in sunicient thickness, these are rather stiff so as to make walking diiflcult. Moreover, the platform block must be provided with a lip at the rear edge for merging with the shoe instep portion. To form this, a large block has been cut away at the forward portion, re-

sulting in a substantial waste of material. Also, the top surface of the block has been formed flat so that the bend in the upper at its attachment to the sole is rather sharp.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a shoe platform of greatly improved flexibility.

Another object is to provide a platform, the formation of which results in less wastage than heretofore.

Another object is to provide a platform having a slight peripheral lip for merging with the shoe upper to form a more natural 'curve at this ortion.

These objects and other more detailed objects hereafter appearing are attained by the strucy ture illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the fore part of a ladys shoe embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the shoe platform.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the platform Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows the structure in Fig. 5 flexed in the same manner as occurs during walking.

The ladys shoe illustrated has the usual upper ll] of soft material and with a cut-out toe I I. The upper is secured to the periphery of insole I2 which merges, as at l3, with the outsole Hi to form the shoe instep or shank. This portion of the shoe is braced by a rather stiff metal strip l5.

Interposed between the insole and outsole is a thick half-platform l 6 formed of a generally flat block of cork, shaped in outline to conform to the shape of the shoe soles (Figs. 3 and 4). The rear edge [8 is inclined to the major axis of the platform which lies, substantially, along section line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and the under rear portion I9 is curved, as shown, so as to conform to the shape of the foot at the junctions of the sole and instep portions. A wedge shaped projection 20 having a curved rear surface and a dished forward surface 2| is glued to the upper rear edge of the block to fill the tapering space adjacent the merging portions of the insole and outsole.

The insole and outsole are secured together and to the platform block by marginal stitching as shown at 22 in Figs. 1 and 2. A number of transverse slots 23 extend into the upper surface of the block and more than half way through the block so as to substantially increase the longitudinal flexibility thereof. The edge portion of the upper material is folded between the platform block and insole l2 and stitched thereto as at 24. However, the intermediate portion of the insole is free of the top surface of the platform so that in walking the block will be free to flex in the manner suggested in Fig. 6. The spacing between the insole and block is exaggerated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The upper surface of the platform block is dished to form a slight peripheral lip 25 which receives the attached edge of the upper, as at 26, so as to form a neater curve at this point.

A slight bowing of the outsole is produced by filling material, as at 21.

Accordingly, the shoe construction incorporating the novel platform block, is more attractive and more comfortable to the wearer than where platforms of previous types are used and the platform illustrated is less expensive to manufacture. Various details may be modified as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contem plated.

I claim:

1. A platform filler for a ladys high-heeled shoe comprising a generally flat block of continuous material shaped in outline to conform to a shoe sole and a separately formed projection secured to the upper surface of the block at the rear edge thereof for bracing the shoe instep and providing smooth contours for receiving the insole and outsole.

2. In a ladys high-heeled shoe, an upper, an insole, an outsole, and a one-piece platform block interposed between said soles and secured upper surface of said block being free of said I insole between the margins thereof and transversely slotted to facilitate longitudinal flexing, said soles merging to form an instep adjacent the rear upper edge of said block, and a separately formed Wedge-shaped projection secured to said edge of the block and filling the space between said merging soles.

E. J. MCDANIEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 122,085 Ware Dec. 19, 1871 1,278,375 Ogilvie Sept. 10, 1918 Number Number 15 370,086

Name Date Nolan Mar. 25, 1919 Ramsey Jan. 18, 1927 Schroder June 20, 1939 Givren Aug. 29, 1939 Bingham Mar. 10, 1942 Calderazzo July 31, 1945 Lumbard May 28, 1946 Margolin Aug. 6, 1946 Mees Aug. 6, 1946 Gallo Nov. 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy Apr. 7, 1939 

